NASL’s Armada hire former US goalkeeper Tony Meola as coach

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Armada have hired former national team goalkeeper Tony Meola as coach and technical director of the North American Soccer League club.

The Armada finished 8-7-15 in its inaugural season in the second-tier league.

Meola made 100 appearances for the national team and was on the squad for the 1990, 1994 and 2002 World Cups. His 37 wins and 32 shutouts rank third in U.S. soccer. He has been a prominent figure in U.S. soccer since he helped lead the under-20 national team at the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Meola had an 18-year club career, most of which was spent in Major League Soccer. Born in Kearny, New Jersey, he was inducted in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.